Well construction using downhole communication and/or data

Abstract

Apparatus and methods pertaining to a processing system operable to determine a change to an operation of a well construction system based on an indication of a quality of transmitted communication between downhole equipment of the well construction system in a wellbore and surface communication equipment of the well construction system transmitted during the operation, a projected effect of the operation on future communication between the downhole equipment and the surface communication equipment, downhole data related to one or more conditions in the wellbore, or a combination thereof. The processing system is operable to cause the change to the operation of the well construction system to be implemented.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a processing system comprising a processor and a memory including computer program code, wherein the processing system is operable to:
 receive an indication of a quality of transmitted communication between downhole equipment of a well construction system in a wellbore and surface communication equipment of the well construction system transmitted during an operation of the well construction system; 
 in response to determining that the indication of the quality indicates that the communication has one or both of low fidelity and low reliability:
 identify a probable cause of the low fidelity or the low reliability; 
 determine one or more changes to the operation that will improve the quality of the transmitted communication;
 and 
 
 
 cause the change to the operation of the well construction system to be implemented. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein:
 the processing system is a first processing system; 
 the apparatus further comprises a second processing system communicatively coupled to the first processing system and comprising a processor and a memory including computer program code; 
 the first processing system is further operable to develop an updated job plan to cause the change to the operation of the well construction system to be implemented; and 
 the second processing system is operable to interpret the updated job plan and issue one or more commands to one or more equipment controllers of surface equipment to implement the updated job plan. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the processing system is further operable to cause the change to the operation of the well construction system to be implemented by issuing one or more commands to one or more controllers of surface equipment. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the determination is based on the indication of the quality of the transmitted communication, and wherein the indication of the quality is based on noise in a signal of the transmitted communication. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the determination is based on the indication of the quality of the transmitted communication, and wherein the indication of the quality is based on a content of the transmitted communication relative to a previous communication. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the determination is based on the projected effect of the operation on the future communication. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the determination is based on the downhole data. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus comprising:
 equipment of a well construction apparatus; 
 one or more equipment controllers operable to control the equipment; and 
 a processing system comprising a processor and a memory including computer program code, wherein the one or more equipment controllers and the processing system are communicatively coupled to a network, wherein the processing system is operable to:
 identify an operation of the equipment; 
 receive an indication of a quality of transmitted communication between downhole equipment in a wellbore and surface communication equipment that is transmitted during an operation of the well construction apparatus; 
 in response to determining that the indication of the quality indicates that the communication has one or both of low fidelity and low reliability:
 identify a probable cause of the low fidelity or the low reliability; 
 determine one or more changes to the operation that will improve the quality of the transmitted communication; and 
 
 cause the change to the identified operation to be implemented. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising surface communication equipment operable to communicate with downhole equipment in the wellbore, wherein:
 the surface communication equipment is communicatively coupled to the network; and 
 the downhole data includes measurement data measured in the wellbore by the downhole equipment and communicated to the surface communication equipment. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising one or more sensors on the surface communicatively coupled to the network, wherein the downhole data includes data obtained from the one or more sensors on the surface. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the processing system is operable to identify the operation based on a job plan. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the processing system is operable to identify the operation based on one or more commands to be issued to the equipment. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising a human-machine interface communicatively coupled to the network, where the processing system is operable to identify the operation based on input to the human-machine interface. 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 operating a processing system comprising a processor and a memory including computer program code, wherein the processing system is communicatively coupled to a network, wherein operating the processing system comprises:
 identifying an operation of equipment of a well construction apparatus; and 
 receiving an indication of a quality of transmitted communication between downhole equipment in a wellbore and surface communication equipment that is transmitted during an operation of the well construction apparatus; 
 in response to determining that the indication of the quality indicates that the communication has one or both of low fidelity and low reliability:
 identifying a probable cause of the low fidelity or the low reliability; 
 determining one or more changes to the operation that will improve the quality of the transmitted communication; and 
 
 operating the equipment of the well construction apparatus based on the one or more changes, wherein operating the equipment comprises controlling the equipment using one or more equipment controllers communicatively coupled to the network. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14  further comprising initiating operating the operation of the equipment before the change is determined, wherein the operating the operation is on-going when the change is determined. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14  wherein the operation is identified before the operation is initiated. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14  wherein the change includes delaying or rescheduling issuance of one or more commands to the equipment controllers. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14  wherein the change includes changing operational parameters of the equipment. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14  wherein:
 the identified operation is a drilling process operation; and 
 the equipment includes a top drive and a drawworks. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein:
 operating the equipment includes initiating, ramping up, or maintaining a rotating speed of the top drive; and
 the change includes a change, relative to the identified drill process operation, to one or more parameters relating to the initiating, ramping up, or maintaining the rotating speed of the top drive, one or more commands to be issued to at least one of the one or more equipment controllers operable to control the top drive, or a combination thereof.